Five Ways to Make the Most of a Layover in Reykjavik, Iceland

This is the usual request I receive from friends and readers alike, many of whom are stopping in Reykjavik on a quick layover with Icelandair. So I thought I’d provide a longer answer than usual for the Looptail, replete with some photos, for the best things to do during the weekend layover. Assuming you have three days, you can get a lot of ground covered and still join locals for drinks late into the night on the main streets of the capital – which is exactly how you’re expected to spend your weekend evenings.

Driving on the open ring roads outside the capital – photo by Jodi E.

1. Rent a car instead of doing a day tour. It’s one thing if you are there on a longer trip and can take your time exploring, but if you’re going to be there for a weekend, definitely rent a car at the airport and use this to see the sights. Parking is easily found in the capital, and having your own transportation means that you can navigate your way around the region at your own pace.

Tip: Pick up a SIM with data from Vodafone.is and use your phone as a GPS to get around. Data rates are reasonable, and if you don’t have a favourite GPS programme, try Waze (this is what I did and it worked great).

Gullfoss Waterfalls – photo by Jodi E.

2. Use your rental car to stop at the Blue Lagoon on the way to or from the airport. The Blue Lagoon is situated 20 minutes from the Reykjavik airport, but close to an hour from Reykjavik proper. To maximize your time in town, definitely stop in the lagoon on the way to or from the city (for directions, see their website). Opening hours are until 8pm, 9pm or midnight, depending on the time of year. Bonus points for the awesome feeling of a crazy steaming lagoon in the night hours – it’s surreal. (Photos don’t turn out well, though.)

Fish restaurant, near the Bonus supermarket, photo by Jodi E.

3. Take a day to see Reykjavik itself. For one day, run around town by foot to take in the port, the sights, and the amazingly colourful buildings.

Some tips:

Don’t miss the 871 Settlement museum, which has interactive exhibits about the history of Iceland, centered around a Viking longhouse they’ve dated back to 871.

There’s a fish restaurant right across from the Bonus supermarket that makes a great fish soup. Tourists will recommend Seabaron near the port, but locals recommended Fish. (Seriously, that’s what it’s called). Just ask anyone for the Bonus grocery shop, then walk across the street to the tiny storefront with the fish sign hanging above it.

The same Bonus supermarket is good for snacks and eats if you are going to be needing provisions for your car ride.

For the Northern Lights, check forecasts online before deciding whether to hop in your car and drive out to see them. If you do, be sure your phone is topped up and you have blankets and snacks in case your car breaks down (make sure you have an emergency number to call as well).

Don’t miss the main Hallgrímskirkja church, looming up over the city. You can take the stairs to the top, too. Worthwhile.

Reykjavik’s colourful houses from above – photo by Jodi E.

4. Don’t go to bed early on a weekend. Reykjavik on a weekend night is…raucous. Locals partake in “the Rúntur” – what my friend Inga explained as a late-night bar crawl on and around the main drag, Laugavegur street. Residents drink at home with friends first, then head out at midnight or later to overtake the bars, ending around 5AM.

Tip: after the bar-hopping ends, locals will be found eating hot dogs on the street, most notably at Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur.

Seeing a geysir in Geysir – photo by Jodi E.

5. Visit the Golden Circle: Geysir, Gullfoss and Pingvellir. See a geyser in Geysir, gorgeous roaring waterfalls in Gullfoss, and the place where continents meet and clash with crumbling stones and green grass as far as the eye can see. Iceland’s magic scenery isn’t to be missed, but if you only have a weekend the best way to get a “best of” is to do the Golden Circle in a day. This is easily undertaken because the ring road makes it hard to get lost. Just be sure you head back to the city before it gets too dark, as lighting is almost non-existent on the roads once you leave the capital.

Hello! My name is Jodi and I’m a former lawyer currently traveling (and eating) my way around the world, one country at a time. I don’t tend to have a set plan or bucket list of things I want to see or place I need to enjoy. Instead, I’ve found myself organically moving from one place to the next based on a food recommendation or a fellow traveler’s enthusiasm for a city somewhere far away. It’s meant that my travels have had a flow to them, linked by common connections and shared meals.

Yay! Glad you’re finding it useful. Really it was a total accident that I ended up there for the weekend – I was looking to get from London to NYC and I didn’t realize that Iceland Air offered this stopover. So I thought why not put a guide together in case others want to do the same. As you can see: WORTH IT!

Iceland is fantastic. If you don’t want to drive, you can arrange an airport transfer that includes a few hours at the Blue Lagoon. Reykjavik is an easy walking city. Don’t miss the harbour and the Harpa Centre – take a tour of this magnificent building.

I went to Iceland last year and it is one of my favourite places. The landscape is unreal and the clear air feels amazing in the lungs. I was very impressed how they have harnessed the geothermal energy to power the place. No pollution at all.
The blue lagoon is a must!

OK – so I have read through this article 3 times, looked all over this page and I have not found any link or info on how to “Win a Trip to Italy.” Is this some BS scam to get people to read the article? Because no where are there instructions on the contest. Although the Icelandic article was interesting, the more I read, the more PO’d I became.

Well, I wouldn’t mind a layover in Iceland en route to Italy. What are cycling conditions like? Would it be worth assembling my bike and trailer for say 5 days – then repacking themfor the onward flight(s)?

Perfect for a layover in Reykjavik: Blue Lagoon, The Golden Circle tour and spending some time in the city as it’s a lovely place!
Some impressions of this amazing and stunning country: http://www.fm1721.net/#!iceland/c1w1d

Quick question: I will be flying through there in a few weeks. I have a 9.5 hr layover (7 am to 5 pm). Are there any tours that someone can take from the airport? I’ve been looking at the site and I can’t find anything on there.
Or would you recommend just taking a cab into the city and walking around?

Gualkun, yes, it is possible to cover all of these items in a single 10 hour layover….but get cracking!!! There is no time to waste!!
I went to Iceland on a 5 day quickie trip (all the way from Los Angeles)….I loved it….I went on the Golden Circle Tour, went out at night in search of the Northern Lights, walked downtown Reykjavik, ate at some fabulous restaurants, went to Vik and hit the Blue Lagoon Spa on my way out…..it can be managed!!!!

What a great short article. Crisp & To the point. Have a couple questions :
1) 3 days including the day we land. Renting a car? Does it give us better flex ability to see more? What is the daily rate compared to a couple tours.??

2) Three Day Agenda. See Reykjavik, Spend Half day at Blue Lagoon, see the country side and sights listed. Enough Time?

I have been to Reykjavik, and I would like to return to see the Museum, go on the bus tour of the old city, and then I would like to go to the northern capital city and to the eastern coast. Then onward to the Faroe Islands

Have just returned on thurs from a 10 day visit to Iceland with my husband. Hired car drove ring road anticlockwise around island. Just beautiful. Did heli flight of glaciers and volcanoes, magic. Saw the sky glowing red at night from Bardabunga Volcanoe still going off. A beautiful little country that exceeded my imagination of how it would be. Loved the coldness, saw some snow and amazed at the magnificent waterfalls.

Hi Jodi and all …
I will be stopping over for 2-3 nights at Reykjavik in April 23rd – 26th.
What do you think I should visit in those 2 full days to make the most out of it. I will be alone travelling, so I will have flexibility as well. Also information on nightlife and handout places would be really appreciated. Looking forward to visit Iceland for the first time … Moin

Hi Moin, the suggestions above are perfect for that amount of time, and I also provided places to eat. I would try to rent a car and see the golden circle if the weather is good — it was so beautiful. For nightlife I cannot help you as I was not really out other than one night but we definitely enjoyed our visit to Lebowski bar.

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